Do The Math! Zillio Gets Kids To Grasp Math Principles By Scaling A Mountain On A Countertop

Mini & Mega Mountains Teach All Ages To “Learn Once, Use Many”

Redwood City, CA (March 11, 2010) – Grownups will recall – with some trepidation – having to
memorize multiplication tables in math class. 7 X 8 = 56; 8 X 8 = 64; 9 X 8 = 72. This was long before
hand-held calculators! Today’s kids, especially those that are home-schooled, have a whole new option
to learn math principles. It’s Zillio Mountain from Zillio®, Inc., makers of a zillion ways to play math.
Kids, learning in a multi-sensory environment, are mastering addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division by scaling the Mountain with their fingers. The raves are pouring in from around the country
from teachers, parents and especially kids.

According to its website, www.zilliogames.com, “what truly sets Zillio apart from all the rest of
educational games and math manipulatives is that Zillio provides the missing link necessary to succeed
in critical thinking – the playful structure allows children to see, touch and systematically manipulate
numbers to reveal the meaning behind math!”

When kids get their hands on the Mini Mountain or its
big brother, Mega Mountain, they can easily explore a
colorful rotating model of math based on two critical
math concepts: times tables and number lines. The
twelve rainbow-colored staircases each represent a
number and its multiples. All equivalent numbers are at
the same height so children can see and feel important
math concepts while they play and learn math.

Industry professionals have already bestowed multiple
prestigious awards to Zillio for educating a wide range
of children: Dr Toy's Best Play and Learn Vacation Award for Summer 2009; Dr. Toy 100 Best Products;
Creative Child Magazine’s Education Product of the Year. Informal Education Products’Award of
Excellence and AblePlay's 5 stars out of 5 rating (awarded to exceptional toys) for meeting the needs of
children with cognitive disabilities.

Investing in a toy that teaches math may make some children and grownups wince. It’s not exactly an
action figure, a plush doll or an electronic toy. But according to Kay Emerson, Zillio Founder,
conquering basic math skills really matters!

“Numerous studies report that over 60% of our youngsters are not proficient in math,” reveals Emerson.
“This will limit their career choices, earning potential, and self esteem. It even has a huge impact on
whether or not they stay in school.” She adds, “a similarly large number of adults tell us they do not feel comfortable with their own math skills so investing in Zillio can really make a difference -- now and
into their child’s future.”

Educators, mom bloggers and parents who homeschool have incorporated Zillio’s products in their
lesson plans and are in total agreement with this new method for teaching math:

I found this to be a very helpful, highly visual math supplement. When my older child was able to
visibly see the pattern of a multiple family, I saw a marked improvement in his math work. My
younger child made great improvement with her counting and addition facts from just one
afternoon of playing games on the mountain. -- Charlotte Gochnauer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine

Kay Emerson has invented a math manipulative that will blow your socks off! Today, we are
going to talk with her about why the Zillio is revolutionary, how it can not only benefit your
children but you as well. The support system for this product is nothing short of amazing.
-- Teri Helms, A homeschooling mother who blogs at www.tommymom.com

Indeed, Zillio was invented precisely to provide children with a fun and powerful way to see, touch, and
understand essential math concepts. Math needn’t be strictly serious – it’s actually fun! With Zillio it
can be accessible to all learners as they prepare for a successful math experience in middle school and
beyond.

Mini Mountain • $99.95 • Ages 4+
It may be called mini but this mountain measures
18” in diameter and 8” high and is easily portable.
It’s ideal for introducing and exploring even the
most advanced concepts but it is more limited in
developing fluency. The number of players varies
by activity, from one to four. Hands-on activities
and length of play are suited to beginning levels
and skills as well as more advanced ones. An
instruction booklet with 20 starter games plus dice
and mini tokens are included.

Mega Mountain • $199.95 • Ages 4+
This Mountain measures 27” in diameter and 12” high and is modestly portable. It’s excellent for
introducing basic to the most advanced concepts and developing more fluency in multiplication.
With its expanded number range and number of steps it is better suited to pattern recognition
activities than the Mini. The number of players varies by activity, from one to six. More
advanced skills and superior strategies have a bigger payoff when strategic games are played on
the Mega Mountain. Children with special needs are very fond of the big mountain.

2D Playground • $31.95
This laminated and colorful 2D version of the Mega Zillion can be
used as a game board, a poster, and a worksheet. Perfect for 2- 4
students to practice math facts and or play games to develop
problem solving and reasoning skills. Measuring 24" by 24" it
showcases the mountain with multiples on one side and without
on the other. Each playground comes with instructions, 3 dice,
and 1 set of 12 foam cards with tokens.
Zillio’s own website sells either Mountain combined with the 2D
Playground for a discounted price of $119.95 or $219.95. Fans
who poke around zilliogames.com will find 50 more games
online!

Since its debut in 2008, the interest in Zillio is so keen that the
creators made a separate blog to create alliances with other Zillio users, to share ideas and stories, learn
about the latest research in math and educational games, and to just get the most out of the products.
Find the latest information at www.ZillioPlayground.com.

ABOUT ZILLIO, INC.
Welcome to the Next Generation of Math. Zillio, Inc. is an innovative designer, developer and marketer
of math toys, math games and math educational products to provide fun, engaging, math-rich play and
learning experiences for children in Pre-K to 9th Grade, wherever math is used or taught: in homes,
classrooms, special need programs, after-school programs, enrichment programs, intervention programs,
and tutoring. Zillio helps youngsters develop the thinking upon which more advanced instruction and
problem-solving is built.

The Zillio Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) foundation that works in tandem with other non-profit,
community and research organizations to develop scalable after-school programs and professional
development programs for pre-service and in-service elementary and middle school teachers to deepen
mathematical conceptual understanding. The Zillio Foundation is managed by Zillio, Inc. and supports
its mission and core initiatives.